Willie Mays (Author of Say Hey) edit data William Howard "Willie" Mays, Jr. is a retired American baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Many consider him to be the greatest all-around player of all time. Mays won two MVP awards and tied a record with 24 appearances in the All-Star Game. He ended his career with 660 career home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-time. In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, making him the highest-ranking living player. Later that year, he was also elected t William Howard "Willie" Mays, Jr. is a retired American baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets.

Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Many consider him to be the greatest all-around player of all time. Mays won two MVP awards and tied a record with 24 appearances in the All-Star Game. He ended his career with 660 career home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-time. In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, making him the highest-ranking living player. Later that year, he was also elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Mays is the only Major League player to have hit a home run in every inning from the 1st through the 16th. He finished his career with a record 22 extra-inning home runs. Mays is one of five NL players to have eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, along with Mel Ott, Sammy Sosa, Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols. Mays hit 50 or more home runs in both 1955 and 1965.

This time span represents the longest stretch between 50 plus home run seasons for any player in Major League Baseball history. Mays' first Major League manager, Leo Durocher, said of Mays: "He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw, and field. And he had that other ingredient that turns a superstar into a super superstar. He lit up the room when he came in. He was a joy to be around." Upon his Hall of Fame induction, Mays was asked who was the best player that he had seen during his career. Mays replied, "I thought I was." Ted Williams once said "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays." Willie Mays Biography - ESPN Willie Mays Biography Personal Willie Mays is a retired major league baseball player who began his career with the New York Giants and moved with the franchise to San Francisco before returning to New York to end his career with the Mets. Mays was a two-time NL MVP and is one of just six players in baseball history to hit at least 600 home runs during his career.

He played in 24 All-Star games, compiling 660 career home runs (third all-time when he retired) and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, having been elected on his first ballot with 94.7 percent of the vote in 1979. Mays was known as the "Say Hey Kid" though the exact origins of the nickname are not clear. Early Years William Howard "Willie" Mays Jr. was born May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Ala., just outside of Birmingham. Mays's parents, Ann and Willie Sr., divorced when he was just three years old, and he was primarily raised by his aunt Sarah. Mays' father and grandfather both had been baseball players, his father and namesake a talented player for the Negro team with the local iron plant. By the age of 5, Mays was playing catch with his father, and by 10, he was sitting on the bench during his father's games. So it didn't take long before Mays was playing himself -- semipro ball by the age of 16. Mays played baseball, basketball and football in school, excelling in all of them.

In 1948, at 17, he joined the Birmingham Black Barons, which made it all the way to the Negro Leagues World Series. Because he was still in high school at the time, Mays played only on Sundays during the school year. Still, he performed well enough the grab the attention of several major league scouts, including one from the New York Giants. The team purchased his contract once he graduated in 1950, assigning Mays to its Trenton affiliate. Professional Career Minor league career Willie Mays hit.353 in Trenton in 1950 and was promoted to Triple-A Minneapolis for the start of the 1951 season. In 35 games with the team, Mays hit .477 and was called up to the major leagues on May 24, 1951, becoming just the 10th African-American player in major league history. New York Giants (1951-57) Mays got off to a slow start in the majors, going hitless in his first 12 at-bats.

In his 13th at-bat, though, he hit a home run off future Hall-of-Famer Warren Spahn, snapping him out of his slump. Despite having only a .274 batting average, 20 home runs and 68 RBI in 121 games, Mays won the 1951 Rookie of the Year Award. His team staged one of the most dramatic comebacks in baseball history, culminating in Bobby Thompson's "Shot Heard Round the World" that defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in a best-of-three playoff for the National League pennant. Mays was on deck when the famous home run took place. After a two-year hiatus due to military service in the U.S. Army, Mays returned to baseball in 1954. He led the league in hitting with a .345 average and blasted 41 home runs, taking home the MVP Trophy in the process. The Giants went to the World Series, where they swept the Cleveland Indians, 4-0.

It was there that Mays made one of the most famous defensive plays in baseball history, tracking down a long fly ball off the bat of Vic Wertz, then whirling around and throwing the ball back to the infield to prevent the runners from scoring after the fact. At both the plate and in the field, Mays continued to do things that baseball had never seen before, creating the 30-30 club in 1956 when he stole 40 bases to go along with hitting 36 home runs. In 1957, Mays won the first-ever Gold Glove for center field, the first of 12 consecutive times he would be so honored. Mays also became just the second player in baseball history to have 20 doubles, triples, home runs and steals in the same season in 1957. During his time in New York, Mays was part of a triumvirate of Hall-of-Fame centerfielders, along with Mickey Mantle of the Yankees and Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The trio combined for 17 All-Star appearances in New York between 1950 and 1957.

They also manned center field in five Subway Series during that span. San Francisco Giants (1958-72) After the 1957 season, the two New York NL franchises moved west, with the Dodgers going to Los Angeles and the Giants moving to San Francisco. The trip west did nothing to slow Mays down. That first season in California, Mays had a career-best .347 batting average and missed his third straight 30-30 season by just one home run. In 1962, the Giants once again finished the regular season tied with the Dodgers, with Mays hitting 49 home runs and driving in 141 runs during the regular season. Once again, the Giants won the three-game playoff, Mays hitting two home runs in the opener. The Giants lost to the Yankees in the World Series in seven games. The 1965 season marked Mays' second MVP campaign. He belted a career-high 52 home runs, including the 500th of his illustrious career, on Sept. 13, 1965, against Don Nottebart of the Houston Astros.

After the season, Mays signed a two-year contract that made him the highest paid player in all of baseball. Although Mays continued to make the All-Star Game year after year, his production began a slow and steady decline over the following six seasons. In 1971, at the age of 40, Mays hit only .271 with 18 home runs and a career-high 123 strikeouts. New York Mets (1972-73) In the middle of the 1972 season, the Giants traded Mays back to New York, where he joined the Mets in exchange for Charlie Williams and $50,000. Although he was no longer able to play more than part-time, and often was slotted at first base instead of in the outfield, in 1973 Mays helped the Mets to reach the post-season for only the second time in the club's history. In the playoffs, Mays went 3-for-10 for the Mets as they defeated the Reds in the NLCS before falling to the Oakland A's in the World Series.

After the final game, Mays called it quits, officially retiring from baseball with a career batting average of .302, 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. Post-playing career After retiring, Mays remained in the New York Mets organization, helping out as the team's hitting instructor until the end of the 1979 season. That same year, Mays, along with Mickey Mantle, accepted a public relations job with Bally's casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Because of the gambling connection, even though no sports betting exists in New Jersey, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn banned the pair from baseball-related activities (commissioner Peter Ueberroth lifted the ban in 1985). During the 1981 baseball strike, Terry Cashman released the song "Talkin' Baseball", which was inspired by a picture of Mays, Mantle and Snider and recalled the glory days of of baseball in the 1950s. After Ueberroth lifted Mays' ban from baseball, he became a fulltime special assistant to the Giants, a position he has held for close to 25 years.

He also serves on the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, an organization dedicated to helping former players through financial and medical difficulties. Legacy Mays' No. 24 jersey was retired by the San Francisco Giants in 1972, the same year he left the team. Mays' godson is slugger Barry Bonds, whose father Bobby was a teammate and close friend of Mays in San Francisco. Mays offered his jersey number to his godson to wear, but Bonds declined, opting instead to wear his father's No. 25. In January 1979, Mays was elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility. Somehow, 23 of the 432 voters did not see fit to make the election unanimous. The current stadium of the San Francisco Giants is located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, and every May 24 in the city of San Francisco is celebrated as Willie Mays Day. Mays was ranked second in The Sporting News' 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 1999. His career total of 7,095 outfield fielding putouts remains the major league record.

Personal Mays married his first wife, Margherite Wendell Chapman, in 1956 and they divorced in the early '60s. They adopted a son, Michael, in 1959. Mays remarried, to Mae Louise Allen, in 1971. SPONSORED HEADLINES Willie Mays - Biography - IMDb Willie Mays Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trivia (38) | Personal Quotes (9) Overview (4) 5' 11" (1.8 m) Mini Bio (1) Willie Mays was born on May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, USA as Willie Howard Mays. He is an actor, known for Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years (2000), Dream Girl of '67 (1966) and Michael Jordan to the Max (2000). He was previously married to Mae Louise Allen and Margherite Wendell Chapman.

Spouse (2) ( 14 February 1956 - 1961) (divorced) (1 child) Trivia (38) Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, 1979. Played for the National League's New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-1972) and New York Mets (1972-1973). Retired with 660 career home runs and a lifetime .302 batting average. Traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Charlie Williams and cash in May of 1972, fulfilling a longtime ambition for Mets owner Joan Whitney Payson, herself a longtime admirer of Willie. Passed the 3000-hit mark in July of 1970. Hit four home runs in one game against the Milwaukee Braves in 1961. Remembered for his over-the-shoulder catch of a Vic Wertz fly ball in Game One of the 1954 World Series.

Led the National League in stolen bases from 1956 thru 1959; was the first player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. Moved into second place on the all-time home run list with his 535th homer in August of 1966; remained second behind Babe Ruth until Hank Aaron overtook him in 1972. Hit the 500th home run of his career against Houston in September of 1965. Was the National League's Rookie of the Year in 1951. Was the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1954 and 1965. Hit the 600th home run of his career against San Diego's Mike Corkins in September of 1969. Spent most of 1952 and all of 1953 in military service. Was called up by the Giants in May of 1951, at which point he was batting .477 for their AAA affiliate, the Minneapolis Millers. Told Giants manager Leo Durocher he wasn't coming because he felt he couldn't hit big league pitching.

Was asked by Leo if he thought he could hit .250 for him, and when Willie said he thought he could, Leo told him to come up immediately. Uniform #24 retired by the Giants; has been issued sparingly by the Mets since he left the organization. Was forced to sever all ties with baseball by then-commissioner Bowie Kuhn after taking a job with the Bally Corporation; was reinstated by Kuhn's successor, Peter Ueberroth , in the mid-1980s. Remained with the Mets as a coach after he retired, although his duties were never defined. Hit his first major league home run off Warren Spahn at the Polo Grounds in New York. Once hit a line drive so hard it went right through the outfield fence of a minor league ballpark in Milwaukee. Is generally regarded as the greatest all-around baseball player of all time. Became famous for catching fly balls using the waist-high or basket catch. Godfather of Barry Bonds . He won 12 Gold Gloves and appeared in a record-tying 24 All-Star games. Mays deliberately set his hat on his head in a certain way so that it would always fall off when running at full speed.

San Francisco Giants All-Time Total Bases Leader (5,907). San Francisco Giants All-Time Homerun Leader (646). San Francisco Giants All-Time Hits Leader (3,187). San Francisco Giants All-Time Doubles Leader (504). San Francisco Giants All-Time Runs Leader (2,011). San Francisco Giants All-Time Games Played Leader (2,857). San Francisco Giants All-Time At Bats Leader (10,477). Member of 1951 National League Champion New York Giants team. Member of 1954 World Series Champion New York Giants team. Member of 1962 National League Champion San Francisco Giants team. Member of 1971 National League Western Division Champion San Francisco Giants team. Member of 1973 National League Champion New York Mets team. Was recently passed by godson Barry Bonds in the number of career home runs. He was the ninth player to be so elected to the Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 95% of votes cast.

Of the five percent of baseball writers who didn't to vote for Mays, Dick Young wrote, "If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old baseball glove, some guys wouldn't vote for him. He dropped the cross three times, didn't he?" Made major league debut on 25 May 1951. His first career Major League home run went completely out of the Polo Grounds which had never been done before. When asked about the pitch he threw that Mays hit out, Warren Spahn (who was sixty feet, six inches away on the pitchers mound) responded, "Gentlemen, for the first 60' that was a hell of a pitch.". In 1959, earning $80,000 per year playing for the San Francisco Giants, Mays lived on a modest $300 per week budget. The remainder went to taxes and investments. Found out he was being called up to the major leagues on May 12, 1951 when he was at a movie theater in Sioux City, Iowa and a message flashed up on the screen that said 'Willie Mays call your hotel'. Personal Quotes (9) I don't compare 'em.

I catch 'em. I remember the last season I played. I went home after a ballgame one day, lay down on my bed, and tears came to my eyes. How can you explain that? You cry because you love her. I cried, I guess, because I loved baseball and I knew I had to leave it. Youngsters of Little League can survive under-coaching a lot better than over-coaching. You know, a lot of people said when I was forty, I should quit, but I don't think so. You should play as long as you can and as long as you enjoy the game. In '73, I wasn't enjoying the game, so I quit in May, I retired, and they wouldn't let me retire. So I finished up in the World Series. But I say to players: Play as long as you can, because you only have one chance. Over the years, a lot of organizations have asked me to be their spokesman, or have wanted me to make speeches about my experiences as a black athlete, or to talk to Congressmen about racial issues in sports. But see, I never recall trouble. I believe I had a happy childhood.

Besides playing school sports, we'd play football against the white kids. And we thought nothing of it, neither the blacks nor the whites. ... I never got into a fight that was caused by racism. Every time I look at my pocketbook, I see Jackie Robinson . Baseball is a game, yes. It is also a business. But what it most truly is is disguised combat. For all its gentility, its almost leisurely pace, baseball is violence under wraps. My father told me that I was able to walk when I was only six months old. And wouldn't you know it, he got me walking after a baseball. Getting a baseball was just about the first thing I was able to do. He put two chairs close to each other and then put a baseball on one. I was clinging to the other. He walked me through two or three times. 'See the ball," he said. 'See the ball.' Then he turned me loose - and I went for the ball myself. When he knew I could chase a ball, he gave me batting lessons. He handed me a rubber ball and a little stick maybe two feet long, and sat me in the middle of the floor.

I'd play with the ball all day long, hitting it with the stick, then crawling or toddling after it across the room. My dad was determined that if I wanted to, I would become a baseball player and not end up in the steel mills the way he did. [on fellow ball-player Ernie Banks] Eddie would famously say, 'It's a beautiful day for a baseball game. Let's play two'. And I'd tell him, 'Ernie, we just played a double-header. Nobody wants to play anymore. We're all tired!' Then we'd all just laugh. See also Willie Mays | American baseball player | Britannica.com American baseball player Alternative Title: Willie Howard Mays Willie Mays Ernie Banks Willie Mays, in full Willie Howard Mays, byname the Say Hey Kid (born May 6, 1931, Westfield, Alabama , U.S.), American professional baseball player who was exceptional at both batting and fielding. Mays played in major league baseball very soon after the colour bar ended, and he probably never received the respect due him based upon his skills. He is considered by many to have been the best all-around player in the history of baseball. Willie Mays.

UPI/Bettmann Archive Both Mays’s father and his grandfather had been baseball players. Willie Mays, who batted and fielded right-handed, played semiprofessional baseball when he was 16 years old and joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League in 1948, playing only on Sunday during the school year. The National League New York Giants paid the Barons for his contract when he graduated from Fairfield Industrial High School in 1950. After two seasons in the minor leagues, Mays went to the Giants in 1951 and was named Rookie of the Year at the end of that season—one legendary in baseball. The Giants were far behind the Brooklyn Dodgers in the pennant race. With the great play of Mays and others, the Giants tied the Dodgers in the standings on the last day of the season, and a three-game play-off for the National League championship was won with a home run, known as “the shot heard ’round the world,” hit by the Giants’ Bobby Thomson. Mays became known first for his spectacular leaping and diving catches before he established himself as a hitter.

He served in the army (1952–54), and upon his return to baseball in the 1954 season, when the Giants won the National League pennant and the World Series , Mays led the league in hitting (.345) and had 41 home runs. In 1966 his two-year contract with the Giants (who had moved to San Francisco in 1958) gave him the highest salary of any baseball player of that time. He was traded to the New York Mets midseason in 1972 and retired after the 1973 season. Late in his career he played in the infield, mainly at first base. His career home run total was 660 and his batting average .302. Mays had 3,283 hits during his career, which made him one of the small group of players with more than 3,000 career hits.

He led the league in home runs in 1955, 1962, and 1964–65, won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves (1957–68), and was named an All-Star in 20 of his 22 seasons. Willie Mays, 1964. Ralph Morse—Time Life Pictures/Getty Images A spectacular fly catch made by Willie Mays with the New York Giants during the All-Star Game, July … UPI San Francisco Giants MLB Baseball Players Sports Photos We Accept: Visa/MasterCard/Discover/Debit/Certified Check or Money Order A.I.M. Enterprises, Inc. Ph 330-405-9421 (c) Copyright 2014 All rights in all media reserved.

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For the Kids | San Francisco Giants 05/04/2007 6:02 PM ET Say Hey! For the Kids The Giants to pay special tribute to Willie Mays during this All-Star season by making the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point a reality Giants Headlines e-mail this page The Giants, in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF), the Say Hey Foundation, Major League Baseball, Mayor Gavin Newsom, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera, today launched a special tribute to Willie Mays: Say Hey! For the Kids - a campaign to make the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point a reality. "In this All-Star season, the Giants and its partners thought it was only appropriate to honor one of baseball's most celebrated players and, with 24 All-Star Game appearances, the Giants' ultimate All-Star - Willie Mays," said Larry Baer, Giants executive vice president and chief operating officer. Mays' unparalleled accomplishments on the field have been well documented from the history books to the Baseball Hall of Fame to his bronze statue that adorns Willie Mays Plaza at AT&T Park. The Say Hey!

For the Kids campaign will remind all who enter AT&T Park through the Willie Mays Gate that what Mays achieved on the field is only rivaled by what he did off the field for children. Throughout the season, the Giants will ask fans to pay tribute to Mays by purchasing a personalized baseball, natural wood Adirondack bat (Mays' official model), an authentic Louisville Slugger "Silver" bat and/or a limited edition Rawlings Gold Glove to be encased in the Willie Mays "Tribute Wall" at AT&T Park. This lasting artistic display will grace the walls at the ballpark entrance just inside the Willie Mays Gate. To participate in the campaign, fans should visit or call 1-877-4SAYHEY(472-9439). Funds raised through the Say Hey! For the Kids campaign and proceeds from Major League Baseball's Gatorade All-Star Workout Day will go toward making the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point a reality.

The Hunters Point Clubhouse, which is located at 195 Kiska Road, is operated by Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, a 116-year-old organization that serves more than 12,000 youth, predominately from at-risk circumstances, throughout San Francisco. In response to escalating violence in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood in 2005, Mayor Gavin Newsom and City Attorney Dennis Herrera launched the Communities of Opportunity initiative - headed by Dwayne Jones - to bring youth services and recreation opportunities to various neighborhoods. This includes the renovation of a San Francisco Housing Authority property into a new state-of-the-art Boys & Girls Club. While undergoing renovation, BGCSF's Hunters Point Clubhouse has been serving local young people six days a week with programs in areas including the arts, education, and sports & fitness. In addition, thanks to the support of the Giants Community Fund, the Good Tidings Foundation and former Giants Pitcher Kirk Reuter, the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point features a recently-renovated baseball field, where the Junior Giants Baseball Program is offered.

Once completed, the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point will serve more than 200 children per day and will feature a new learning and technology center, an art studio, a teen center, a games room, a community room, a full-size gymnasium, an internal courtyard, a play yard, and an SFPD Community Policing office. A full-range of programs will be offered, including homework assistance, reading and math skills development, fine arts instruction, leadership programs, job training, community service projects, health and prevention programs, and sports, fitness and recreation programs - including Junior Giants Baseball and RBI leagues. "We are really excited to honor Willie Mays, who became a sports icon and a national hero while playing right here in the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood," said Rob Connolly, president of BGCSF.

The clubhouse will be officially named the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point on the morning of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game - July 10, 2007 - in a dedication ceremony at Hunters Point featuring Willie Mays, Baseball Commissioner Allan "Bud" Selig, Giants President and Managing General Partner Peter Magowan, Mayor Gavin Newsom, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera, among others. Part of the community since 1891, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco's mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The Clubs currently serve more than 1,100 youth (ages six to 18) each day at nine Clubhouses located in the neighborhoods where they are needed most. Clubs are open when kids need services most - after school, on school holidays and during the summer. For just a $10 annual membership fee, the Clubs offer high quality staff, programs, and facilities in an environment that promotes respect, responsibility and fun. For more information, please visit our website at bgcsf.org.

Willie Mays receives Medal of Freedom from President Obama - SFGate Willie Mays receives Medal of Freedom from President Obama By Carolyn Lochhead , San Francisco Chronicle Updated 6:12 am, Wednesday, November 25, 2015 Photo: Chip Somodevilla Close Image 1 of 15 WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 24: U.S. President Barack Obama presents Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House November 24, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama presented the medal to thirteen living and four posthumous pioneers in science, sports, public service, human rights, politics and arts, (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) less WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 24: U.S. President Barack Obama presents Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House November 24, ...

more Photo: Chip Somodevilla Image 2 of 15 Willie Mays applauds NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson after she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday. Obama recognized 17 Americans with the nation's highest civilian award. ﻿ less Willie Mays applauds NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson after she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday. Obama recognized 17 ... more Photo: Evan Vucci, STF Image 3 of 15 US President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to baseball great Willie Mays at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 24, 2015. US President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to baseball great Willie Mays at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 24, 2015. Photo: Nicholas Kamm, AFP / Getty Images Image 4 of 15 Fans welcoming Giants star Willie Mays at Polo Grounds. (Photo by Art Rickerby/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) Fans welcoming Giants star Willie Mays at Polo Grounds.

(Photo by Art Rickerby/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) Photo: Art Rickerby, The LIFE Picture Collection/Gett Image 5 of 15 FILE - In this June 4, 2015, file photo San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays listens in the East Room of the White House in Washington, during a ceremony where President Barack Obama honored the 2014 World Series champion baseball team. President Barack Obama on Monday, Nov. 16, 2015, named seventeen recipients, including Mays, of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ORG XMIT: WX111 less FILE - In this June 4, 2015, file photo San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays listens in the East Room of the White House in Washington, during a ceremony where President Barack Obama ...

more Photo: Evan Vucci Image 6 of 15 President Barack Obama (center) receives a jersey from Hall of Fame player Willie Mays (left) and San Francisco Giants General Manager Brian Sabean (right) during an event with the World Series champions in the East Room of the White House July 25, 2011 in Washington, DC. The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series, giving the franchise their first World Series championship since 1954, and the first since relocating to San Francisco in 1958. President Barack Obama (center) receives a jersey from Hall of Fame player Willie Mays (left) and San Francisco Giants General Manager Brian Sabean (right) during an event with the World Series champions in the ... more Photo: Win McNamee, Getty Images Image 7 of 15 President Barack Obama (left) waves from the steps of Air Force One while escorting Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays (R) to the All-Star game on July 14, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri.

President Barack Obama (left) waves from the steps of Air Force One while escorting Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays (R) to the All-Star game on July 14, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. Photo: Tim Sloan, AFP/Getty Images Image 8 of 15 President Barack Obama, left, with Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Tuesday, July 14, 2009, after arriving at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in St. Louis. President Barack Obama, left, with Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Tuesday, July 14, 2009, after arriving at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in St. Louis. Photo: Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP Image 9 of 15 Willie Mays poses in the dugout of Seals Stadium during an October 31, 1957 photo shoot, the year before the outfielder made his debut as a San Francisco Giant.

Willie Mays poses in the dugout of Seals Stadium during an October 31, 1957 photo shoot, the year before the outfielder made his debut as a San Francisco Giant. Photo: Joe Rosenthal, The Chronicle Image 10 of 15 Willie Mays posing at the plate in Seals Stadium during an October 31, 1957 photo shoot, the year before the outfielder made his debut as a San Francisco Giant. Willie Mays posing at the plate in Seals Stadium during an October 31, 1957 photo shoot, the year before the outfielder made his debut as a San Francisco Giant. Photo: Joe Rosenthal, The Chronicle Image 11 of 15 Giants baseball players Willie Mays (seated R) and Willie McCovey (seated L) in dugout of new Candlestick stadium. Giants baseball players Willie Mays (seated R) and Willie McCovey (seated L) in dugout of new Candlestick stadium.

Photo: Jon Brenneis, Getty Images Image 12 of 15 President Barack Obama greets Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2015, where the president honored the 2014 World Series champion San Francisco Giants baseball team. less President Barack Obama greets Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2015, where the president honored the 2014 World ... more Photo: Evan Vucci, Associated Press Image 13 of 15 After hitting his 756th home run, Barry Bonds and Willie Mays appear to be near tears. Celebration of Barry Bonds's 756th home run that breaks the all-time career home run record. Giants v. Nationals at ATT Park. After hitting his 756th home run, Barry Bonds and Willie Mays appear to be near tears. Celebration of Barry Bonds's 756th home run that breaks the all-time career home run record. Giants v. Nationals at ATT ...

more Photo: Mark Costantini, Chronicle Image 14 of 15 Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants stops to meet with Giants legend Willie Mays after he was named the National League Cy young Award winner today for the second straight year. Lincecum and Mays at the Giants clubhouse at AT&T Ballpark in San Francisco, Calif. on Thursday November 19, 2009. less Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants stops to meet with Giants legend Willie Mays after he was named the National League Cy young Award winner today for the second straight year. Lincecum and Mays at the ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 15 of 15 Flashback: Willie Mays becomes second player with 600 homers | FOX Sports Flashback: Willie Mays becomes second player with 600 homers This swing put Willie Mays in very exclusive company. FOX Sports Sep 22, 2015 at 10:47a ET 0 Shares Willie Mays — the "Say Hey Kid" — was as special as they come at the plate and in the field during his career, and his accomplishments are nearly too numerous to list.

On Sept. 22, 1969, the San Francisco Giants’ slugger became the second player to hit 600 career home runs — joining Babe Ruth. The historic blast was a two-run shot off of the San Diego Padres’ Mike Corkins in the seventh inning, and it proved to be the game winner. Your browser does not support iframes. Mays played through the 1973 season, finishing his 22-season major-league career with 660 homers (still fifth on the all-time list). The 1951 NL Rookie of the Year and two-time NL MVP (1954, 1965) was a 12-time Gold Glove winner, a four-time NL home run leader and the 1954 NL batting champion. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1979, getting 94.7 percent of the vote. 0 Willie Mays Memorabilia: Autographed & Signed Willie Mays Memorabilia Signed Willie Mays Merchandise & Authentic Collectibles 868 total items Quick Look SportsMemorabilia.com guarantees that our prices are the lowest you'll find anywhere online.

You'll know you're receiving the best deals available on thousands of quality products. And if you happen to find a better online price out there, and meet the qualifications listed below, we'll give you the difference. Redeem up to $500 in store credit on any future purchases at SportsMemorabilia.com! The product must be purchased from SportsMemorabilia.com. The product must be the exact same product purchased at SportsMemorabilia.com, with same level of authenticity backing & documentation as items sold on SportsMemorabilia.com (see The merchant offering the lower price must have the product currently in stock. The online merchant must be an established site, as determined by SportsMemorabilia.com. The product cannot be purchased in a 'Deal Of The Week" sale. About Willie Mays Autographed Memorabilia & Collectibles Â Willie Mays is a retired American baseball player who played for the San Francisco Giants for 19 seasons before ending his career with the New York Mets. During his career, Mays set a number of records and won many accolades, including two MVP awards and tied a league record with 24 appearances in the All-Star Game.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 for his contributions to the MLB and many consider him to be the greatest all-around player of all time. Not only is Willie Mays a favorite among San Francisco Giants fans, heâs a legend of Major League Baseball that will go down in league history. Due to his noteworthy career, fans and collectors alike cherish Willie Mays memorabilia. These autographed items are very rare and hold high worth that is expected to produce a large financial return in the future. Â As one of the greatest ever to play the game, every baseball fan needs a Willie Mays autographed baseball, jersey, bat, or photo for their collection. Add historic value to your collection or give a special fan the gift of a lifetime with a Willie Mays collectible. Complete your collection with items signed by all of your favorite players with items from our broad selection of MLB Memorabilia . If youâre a fan of the San Francisco Giants, shop for items signed by other former greats, like Barry Bonds, or members of the 2012 World Series Championship team, including Matt Cain and Pablo Sandoval . Â

Question: Say Hey was the autobiography of what San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame baseball player?
Answer: Willie Mays